


You Are The Melody

by Scandalmuss



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Fluff, Inspired by Music, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Record Producer AU, YouTube, harry has no chill, long suffering merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-07-26 12:32:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7574158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scandalmuss/pseuds/Scandalmuss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eggsy Unwin has very little good in his life, aside from his Mum, his wee sister and his second, well, probably third-hand guitar. He teaches himself to play and just for a lark, decides to record it and post it to Youtube. </p><p>Fast forward a few years, Eggsy has posted numerous videos and amassed a small following. But none of his fans matter as much as the mysterious BespokeBloke51. </p><p>Falling in love with a username isn't that weird, is it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Are The Melody

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PlotQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlotQueen/gifts).



> Prompt: Eggsy is YouTube famous for song covers he does with a beat up guitar and a crappy mic. Harry is commentor who has been flirting pretty hardcore with Eggsy for a while, and also the producer who wants to make him famous. But a first meeting goes wrong thanks to a comedy of errors and Eggsy says no. Cue Eggsy popping up original songs on his YouTube, all about Harry.
> 
> I had loads of fun with this, even though my music industry knowledge is not very strong!! I hope you like it!
> 
> Also, several of the songs Eggsy sings have links embedded in them, just in case you haven't heard the song before!

Every single video Eggsy posted started the same way; he positioned the camera on his phone to face the corner of his room, so he can sit on his bed and play but also be as far away from his bedroom door as possible. Just in case Dean feels like intruding again. After the first (and last) instance of Dean barging in, Eggsy was smarter about it, he makes sure that Dean is either blackout drunk or out of the flat entirely before he takes his guitar out of the closet.

He ran his fingers along the neck of the guitar, it was no longer as smooth as it surely once was, due to it being from a cash and barter shop in another dodgy end of town. There were nicks and scratches and random stickers in places, simply from years of ownership by different folks.

When they’d first seen it in the shop window, it had been the White Cliffs of Dover sticker that made Eggsy’s mum Michelle, sigh softly, “Your Da used to have a guitar just like this one.” Her fingers rested up against the window and she smiled at him, “He loved music, he used to sing to you all the time when you was a babe,” Michelle hummed to herself before softly starting to sing,

 

_There'll be bluebirds over_

_The white cliffs of dover_

_Tomorrow_

_Just you wait and see_

 

Eggsy’s eyes immediately rimmed with tears, his mum had never shared much about his dad and for the memory to be so gentle and full of love? Well, Eggsy was then determined to buy that guitar, regardless of how much it cost. Luckily it turned out to be under a hundred quid, based on the physical state of it and Eggsy had tried not to hug it on the bus ride home.

It had been almost four years since he’d bought the guitar and his Youtube page boasted nearly 30 videos of him singing cover songs. His first video had been the song his mum sang to him on that day when he made up his mind to buy the guitar, [Vera Lynn’s The White Cliffs of Dover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8l3mVH5WKs).

He had been nervous as hell to post it, but at the same time, knew that the odds of anyone seeing it and seeking him out, would be nearly non-existent. He carried on for months, learning new songs, practicing them in front of his wee sister Daisy and then posting them onto his page. Every once and awhile he got likes and comments but they were so few and far between that he didn’t freak out about them too much.

That was until he got an actual fan, User BespokeBloke51 seemed to go through his entire set of videos, commenting on each of them, with things like, “Beautiful song choice, wonderful voice” and “Bloody well done. Your skills are getting more and more fine tuned with each video you post!”

Eggsy fought the urge to blush and get excited because some stranger liked his singing. At first he’d struggled with the thought of replying to the man because he didn’t want to open himself up to the unknown. But after the “bloody well done” comment, Eggsy couldn’t resist commenting back; and after that, BespokeBloke51 and Eggsy messaged each other regularly. The man seemed to have a fair amount of knowledge about music and they exchanged ideas back and forth about good song choices for Eggsy and ways to challenge himself.

Much to Eggsy’s surprise, after a few months of harmless messaging back and forth, BespokeBloke51’s messages started to get, well, for lack of a better word, cheeky. Eggsy had no idea what the man looked like (“Boring, I can assure you,” the man had said) but couldn’t resist flirting right back. He felt safe doing it online because in real life, if Dean caught wind that Eggsy was into blokes, there’d be hell to pay. But as it was online with a man he’d never met and had whom he had no intention of meeting, Eggsy felt free to be himself. He may have even started to make sure he was a little more done up in his videos, much to BespokeBloke51’s delight.

Even his song choices were becoming more directed to BespokeBloke51. First there was [Faith by George Michael](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKv2cfoMVNw) (his karaoke favourite), then [What a Fool Believes by The Doobie Brothers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUFf5lDoc80) (to show off his range), Cuckoo by Adam Lambert (mainly so he could pointedly look into the camera as he sang the word “Fuck” but also because Adam Lambert was an idol of his) and finally, the one that got the most exuberant response from BespokeBloke51, [Undun by The Guess Who](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLMF5GM0Kt8). Near the end of the song, Eggsy had shamelessly bitten his lip and he most certainly had put on his best “O” face when he sang the last drawn out line.

BespokeBloke51’s public response had been, “Another song absolutely aced! I may even say it rivals the original!”. But the private response caused Eggsy’s cheeks to turn bright red. Never in his life had he been called a “tempting little tart” and he certainly let his imagination run wild at the “I can’t imagine how I’m supposed to focus on work for the rest of the day”.

Eggsy had pictured a man, dressed to the nines in a gorgeous suit, leaning back in his office chair, having to hide his erection from his co-workers, all because of Eggsy and his voice.

All of that led to Eggsy’s current song choice. Sure, it was a one hit wonder but he couldn’t resist the way he knew his voice would sound and what he’d hoped it would do to BespokeBloke51.

He sat down in front of his phone and picked up his guitar.

  


\--------------

  


Kingsman Records was _the_ company that new artists wanted to sign with. Over the years they’d discovered solo acts, garage bands and surprisingly, a busker that Merlin had been rather fond of near the Tube station.

Harry Hart and Merlin had taken over Kingsman records once the previous owner, Chester King had retired.

While Merlin preferred to have his office closer to the ground floor, Harry appreciated the view of the London skyline from his office windows. He walked towards the window and stood at attention as he stared down at all the people and cars on the streets. It was Wednesday, near the end of the month, which meant that his favourite young artist was bound to post a new video soon.

The whole thing with Youtube user EggsyUnwin had snowballed rather quickly. Harry, the producer, was always on the hunt for new talent and Eggsy certainly had that in spades, but it was the young man’s looks and surprising humbleness that made Harry, the very single man, take a more active interest. Granted, the flirting had gotten slightly out of hand but Harry was a weak man when it came to Eggsy’s green eyes and that smile when he sang.

And after the Undun nonsense, where he _was_ actually useless for the rest of the day (Piss off, Merlin), he’d planned on making an actual offer to Eggsy. Well, an offer through Merlin because Harry didn’t want to look creepy, having followed and messaged the young man back and forth for months and months. Especially because Eggsy had even asked him what he did for a living and Harry had lied and said he was a tailor.

Even now, he shook his head at his stupid fucking lie. He could’ve had a shot at offering Eggsy a contract, but not any more. He looked at his watch and walked back over to his large desk. Merlin was set to be joining him for Eggsy’s latest video and it was nearly time for it to be posted. Eggsy had admitted months ago that he waited to see what Harry thought about his song choice, so the young man would no doubt be waiting by his laptop for Harry to respond immediately.

He pressed the button on his desk phone to connect him to Merlin’s office.

“Hi, Harry, Merlin’s just gone to grab you both some tea before he heads up.”

“Ah, thank you Roxy.”

“Not a problem, sir!”

Roxy was a pleasant sort of girl, but Harry had warned Merlin about hiring someone so young for such an intense job, but Roxy had proven herself almost instantly and Harry had suffered through Merlin’s smug grins for several weeks.

Harry’s office door opened and Merlin shouldered his way in with two mugs of tea and a plate of pastries balanced precariously on top, “They had lemon bars today!”

Harry walked over and took the plate from Merlin and sniffed at it, “I’m starting to think you pay them to make things only you will like.”

Merlin scoffed, “Oh hardly. You’re just too picky.” He handed Harry his mug and they both walked over to sit at the desk, “So, remind me again why you can’t make this young man an offer and I have to?”

“It feels like a conflict of interest on my behalf.” Harry took a sip of his tea and chose not to make eye contact with Merlin. He could already feel the man’s heated gaze directed at him.

“You’re not shagging him, are you?” Merlin deadpanned.

“Oh fuck off, of course I’m not. I’ve just been following him for a long enough time that I thought it might be awkward if I suddenly offered him a record contract. That’s all.”

Merlin chuckled, “You do realize that I’ll never let you live it down if you’re lying, right?”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Yes I’m very aware. You arse.” He turned his attention back to Eggsy’s page. As if on cue, a notification popped up and Harry tried to ignore his heart leaping in his chest. He clicked the link and the video loaded.

Eggsy sat on his bed, guitar in hand and wide grin plastered on his face.

“Hi, guys! I thought I might do something a bit different this round and dedicate this song to someone...”

Harry’s pulse had started to race and he chanced a look at Merlin’s impassive expression. _Oh fuck, please don’t be me. This one fucking time, please don’t be me._

Eggsy continued, “A couple of you guys have been following me for awhile now so I just wanted to give a shout out to BespokeBloke51, this one’s for you!” he winked at the camera.

The video paused instantly, Merlin’s hand hovering over the space bar. Harry wouldn’t look at him. Couldn’t look at him. “BespokeBloke51? Are you fucking serious?! Harry, that’s you, isn’t it?”

He grimaced and looked over at Merlin, whose expression immediately fell when he took in the look on Harry’s face.

“Oh my fucking christ, Harry,” he groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. He sat up straight and glared at Harry, “You are the least subtle person I know. This boy is what, half your age?”

“Regardless!” Harry’s voice hardened, “Regardless of my feelings about the boy, you should still listen to him.” He moved forward to press play again, ignoring Merlin’s scoffing at the word “feelings”.

Eggsy adjusted his fingers and started to strum, his head bobbing slightly to the [beat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUHRX-IOdOs),

 

_See you blowin' me a kiss it doesn't take a scientist_

_To understand what's goin' on baby_

_If you see somethin' in my eye, let's not overanalyze_

_Don't go too deep with it baby_

 

_So let it be what it'll be_

_Don't make a fuss and go crazy over you and me_

_Here's what I do, I'll play it loose_

_Not like we have a date with destiny_

 

_It's just a little crush_

_Not like I faint every time we touch_

_It's just some little thing_

_Not like everything I do depends on you_

_Sha la la la, sha la la la_

  


Harry looked over at Merlin as the other man watched the video, nodding along to the beat of the song. “He’s got a wonderful voice, Harry.”

Sighing deeply, Harry chanced a small smile, “He normally doesn’t sing in this low of a key, but his range is fantastic.”

“And how long has he been playing?” Merlin asked, eyes not moving from the screen.

“Nearly four years. He’s self-taught.”

A surprised sound came from Merlin’s mouth, “Really? His technique is bloody fantastic for someone who is self-taught. We normally don’t see this kind of skill level. Especially from someone who has only been at it for four years.” He paused the video, “I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right. We haven’t had someone like him in ages.”

“I’m so glad you feel the same way, Merlin-”

“I wouldn’t say the _same_ way, Harry,” Merlin teased. Ignoring Harry’s indignant huff, Merlin pulled out his phone and started texting, “I’ll get Roxy to find out his contact info and I’ll put out an official offer.” He looked up from his phone, “I assume you’ll want to be there for the meeting?”

Harry glared at him, “I’ll be there as long as you shut your mouth about this.”

Merlin laughed and got out of the chair, “Trust me, I won’t bring it up at all.”

Harry’s eyes followed the Scot till he was at the doors.

“Besides,” Merlin grinned, “We wouldn’t want him to bolt at the sight of his wannabe sugar daddy!”

“Sugar- wannabe- daddy?! Oh, you can fuck right off, Merlin!” he roared as Merlin quickly shut the door behind him, lest Harry throw something at him.

 

\-------------

  


Eggsy sat on his bed, leafing through an old book of guitar sheet music he’d picked up in a thrift shop. One of the songs on his list to learn was Classical Gas. His fingerwork wasn’t anywhere near good enough to even try that song but he was hoping he’d be ready soon.

His phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket, as he leaned over to get it out, he stared at the unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Good afternoon, may I speak with Eggsy Unwin, please?” a very pleasant voice asked.

“Uh, yep, that’s me.”

“Excellent, Mr.Unwin, my name is Roxanne Morton and I’m calling on behalf of Kingsman Records.”

Eggsy bolted upright, the book of sheet music scattering all over his bed, “From where?”

Roxy chuckled politely, “From Kingsman Records, have you heard of us?”

“Have I- you guys discovered Jacky B! And, and The Crashers! Of fucking course I know who you are! Oh my god!”

“Oh good! Well, Mr. Unwin, we’ve seen your cover work on Youtube and would very much like you to come in for a meeting with a couple of our producers.”

His mouth opened and closed, no words coming out.

“Mr. Unwin, are you still there?”

Eggsy inhaled deeply, “Holy fuck. I mean, yes, sorry. I’m here.”

“Are you open to a meeting?”

“I’d have to be mental not to take that meeting!” he laughed nervously, “Next you’re gonna be telling me I’m meeting with Merlin and Harry bloody Hart!” he laughed again at the ridiculousness of that sentence.

“Actually, Mr. Unwin…”

The colour drained from Eggsy’s face, “No fucking way,” he whispered.

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Roxanne whispered back. “When are you available?” she asked back in a regular volume.

“Uh, um, whenever they can see me! Hell, I’ll be there in an hour if you want me to be.”

Roxanne’s laugh helped lighten the weight on his shoulders, “Well, why don’t we give you a few days to think of any questions you may have for Merlin and Mr. Hart and then we can send a car for you. How does Friday at 3 sound?”

“Friday, 3, yeah,” he mumbled quietly, very much still in awe of their conversation.

He’s being discovered. Someone like the legendary Harry Hart has watched his videos and wants to meet with him. The blood rushed to his head immediately as he fell back against the bed.

“Are you alright, Mr. Unwin?” Roxanne’s voice sounded concerned yet teasing.

“I just- like- this isn’t how I saw my day going, you know?” He shut his eyes and rested his arm against them.

“I can assure you, you’ve got nothing to be nervous about. Both Merlin and Mr. Hart are wonderful men and it seems as though you’ve got a bit of a fan in Mr. Hart.”

Eggsy’s arm slid off his face, “You’re takin’ the piss.”

Roxanne chuckled politely, “It takes a fair amount to get Harry to notice someone and he’s the one that suggested you come in to meet with them. I just want you to be prepared when you come here on Friday, okay?”

“Prepared? You want me to be prepared to have Harry fucking Hart- what, fangirl over me?” Eggsy’s laugh sounded mirthless, “Mate, you best be telling him that he better be prepared for me to fangirl over _him_. He’s the legend.”

“Well, regardless, of who’s fangirling over whom, we will see you on Friday at 3, right?”

“Of course! I just- oh my god, thank you for calling me, Rox-wait sorry, Roxanne-”

“Roxy is just fine, Mr. Unwin.” Her smile could be heard through the phone.

Eggsy breathed deeply, “Okay, wow, okay-so yes, Roxy, I’ll see you, Merlin and Harry Hart on Friday at 3pm.”

“Fabulous! Have a wonderful day, Mr. Unwin!”

“You too, Roxy, you too.”

He hung up the phone and stared, slack-jawed at his ceiling. _Holy fucking shit._

  
  


\-------------------------------

  


Eggsy pushed down on the plush seats in the back of the Kingsman cab, it didn’t look like anything special on the outside but it made up for it on the inside. His eyes slid over the cigar holder and the tiny drink cabinet with a crystal decanter filled with what was no doubt, _very_ expensive stuff.

“Do people actually drink in here?!” he asked, incredulously.

The driver shook his head and chuckled lightly, “Not while we’re moving, Sir. It’s a bit illegal at that point.”

“Oh, yeah I guess, hey?” Eggsy nodded, looking out at downtown London and all the people out and about. He fiddled with the buttons on his best fancy shirt, “Have you met Merlin or Harry Hart?”

“Oh yes, Sir. I am actually Mr. Hart’s personal driver.”

A wave of giddiness erupted in Eggsy’s body, “So you mean I’m sitting where Harry Hart sits?!”

The driver laughed, “Yes, Sir, you most certainly are.”

“Wicked.”

 

\------

 

“Can you stop fussing with your tie, please?” Merlin rolled his eyes at Harry’s response of an irritated groan, “Just go without one for Christ’s sake, it’s not like this is a bloody date!”

Harry tossed his tie onto his desk, “I’m very well aware of that, _thank you_ , Merlin. I just wanted to look professional.”

Merlin shot him a ‘you must be joking’ kind of look, “Harry, you’re in a bespoke suit, you have no choice but to look professional in that outfit. Now relax and come and sit down. He’ll be here at any moment.”

“I hate to ask this,” Harry huffed out, “But will you please pinch my leg or something if I’m getting too off course with him. I just- I know myself and it’s been years since anyone has gotten my attention the way he has and- ugh,” he sighed as he sat down, “I just don’t want to fuck this up. He’s got real talent and the last thing I need is for him to say no because I’m a creepy old fool.”

“I wouldn’t say you’re creepy,” Merlin grinned into his tea cup, ignoring Harry’s pleading stare.

A knock on the door brought both men to attention, Roxy’s head poked in, “Good afternoon gentlemen, I have an Eggsy Unwin here to see you!” Roxy pushed open the door and a charmingly bewildered looking Eggsy walked through it carefully.

Harry couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face when he noticed Eggsy noticing him. The boy nearly stopped in his tracks but managed to make it look like he tripped slightly on the rug by the door.

Both men stood up and smiled warmly at Eggsy, “Welcome to Kingsman Records, Mr. Unwin,” Merlin leaned forward to shake Eggsy’s hand.

“We’re very glad you could come at such short notice,” Harry said politely, extending his hand for Eggsy to shake as well.

Eggsy just stared at the two legendary record producers in front of him, totally forgetting his mum’s advice to not let his mouth hang open in awe, “You’re Harry bloody Hart,” he nearly whispered, his eyes flitting over to the other man at the table, “And Merlin, oh my god, this is actually happening.” Eggsy collapsed into his seat and stared at the high powered men across from him.

This was too much, his heart was going to explode out of sheer joy and he didn’t even care. Eggsy couldn’t help his eyes always drifting back to Harry, the man just demanded attention and he wasn’t even saying anything yet. His hands gripped the leather chair arms and he leaned back slightly, not willing to get too comfy.

Merlin leaned forward on the desk and tented his fingers, “So, Mr. Unwin, I must admit, I’m rather impressed with your skill level. Harry’s explained that you’ve only been at it for four years?”

Eggsy looked back at Harry and grinned, “Yeah, picked up the guitar at a thrift shop, watched youtube videos and kinda taught myself from there.” If he wasn’t mistaken, a small blush dusted Harry’s cheeks. Roxy had been honest, Harry was an actual fan.

“Well that’s very impressive Mr. Unwin,” Merlin said a bit loudly, trying to get Eggsy’s attention away from his ridiculous co-worker, “Have you got any original pieces or is is mostly covers?”

“Um, well so far it’s mostly covers,” he said shyly, “I haven’t had much inspiration to write my own stuff yet. ‘Sides, my wee sis might get mad if I stopped playing her favourite songs,” he laughed nervously, glancing up at Merlin.

A small smile found its way onto Merlin’s face, “Well, with some assistance, I have no doubt that you’d be able to get to that point, correct?”

Eggsy nodded quickly, “Oh yeah, absolutely! I’ve got melodies and stuff floating around, I’d just need some help making it all fit together, you know?”

“Absolutely,” Merlin agreed.

Roxy knocked and opened the door a bit, “I’m so sorry to interrupt but, Merlin that meeting that you’d mentioned for this afternoon, well they’ve shown up a bit early.”

Harry glared at Merlin, “You never said you had a meeting this afternoon!” he hissed.

Merlin cocked an eyebrow and stared Harry down, “And you need to learn to handle yourself,” his eyes flicked to Eggsy briefly. He grinned toothily and stood up, “I am so sorry, Mr. Unwin, I’m afraid I need to deal with this client,” he shook Eggsy’s hand again, “But I’m leaving you in Harry’s more than capable hands.” He gave Harry a pointed look and then walked towards the door, fully ignoring Harry’s constant hissing of his name.

The door shut behind Merlin and Eggsy turned to stare at Harry. Who then in turn just stared back, completely silent and completely panicked.

The seconds passed by and Harry cleared his throat, trying to fill the silence, “I uh, heard once that it only takes four seconds for silence to get awkward,” he tried to laugh but the confused look on Eggsy’s face shut him up fast.

“Ummm, so you liked my stuff?” Eggsy asked nervously, pulling on the sleeve of his button up shirt.

Harry cleared his throat again, “Um yes, yes it was very good, Mr. Unwin.”

“You can call me Eggsy,” the young man smiled shyly.

Maybe he wasn’t fucking this up, Harry smiled warmly, “Very well, your work is very good, Eggsy,” he laced his fingers together over the desk, “Now, I’m sure you’re well aware that we don’t actually produce anything from cover artists,” he spoke quickly to avoid Eggsy’s disappointed expression, “but we’re willing to set you up with a resident songwriter to see if anything would come of it.” The look of disappointment hadn’t disappeared as Harry would’ve liked.

Eggsy knew he wouldn’t be allowed to officially do covers but there was no way he could afford a professional songwriter to help him with original stuff. Of course the label wasn’t about to invest in him if they didn’t know if he could deliver. He sighed deeply, “And how much would that cost, Mr. Hart?”

Harry blinked at him in confusion, “Why would cost bother you?”

Eggsy bit his lip, this is not how he wanted them to find out about his home life. But _of course_ he was gonna have to spill his guts in front of Harry Hart. Life wasn’t fair. He fought the tears threatening to spill from his eyes, “Well, I honestly couldn’t afford one and I know you can’t invest in me if I ain’t proven myself yet, so maybe I should just get out of here, I’m sorry.” He stood up and started to make his way to the door.

“Eggsy!” Harry said loudly, pushing himself out of his seat in a panic, “Eggsy, please wait!” He grabbed Eggsy by his elbow and turned the young man around, “Eggsy, please don’t leave.” Eggsy looked up at him and Harry’s heart nearly burst at the rejection already in Eggsy’s eyes, “Come and sit back down, please,” he all but pleaded.

The young man nodded slowly and Harry guided him back to the chairs in front of the desk, Eggsy’s eyes widened as Harry sat next to him.

“Eggsy, I’m not sure what gave you the impression that you’d have to pay for anything, but Kingsman is more than capable of covering the fees for any and all services offered to you,” he grinned at the slow smile on Eggsy’s lips. “You’re giving up a lot of your valuable time and that should be considered enough of a payment, okay? Do you have a job?”

Eggsy’s imagination filtered through each of the awful fucking jobs he had to do for Dean, it was best not to mention any of them, “No, not really,” he muttered.

“Good!” Harry’s hand was on his knee, “That way we don’t have to worry about you needing time off from that. And I should mention that even though the songs will have been written by you, any new material will automatically belong to Kingsman Records.”

He stared at Harry’s hand that was still on his knee, “And I choose not to record them?”

“Well, if we can find an artist that would suit the song, we may offer it to them instead.”

“So I have no control over my own music, then?” Eggsy’s tone sounded serious and slightly pissed off.

Harry carefully removed his hand from Eggsy’s knee, “Well, not exactly, but if it’s a good song, we don’t want to see it go to waste.”

“Will I still get credit for it or will it go to whoever records it?”

He could sense Eggsy starting to dislike some of the fine print of the contract, “Eggsy, Kingsman is not in the habit of taking advantage of our artists, and we have no intention to start with you. You will of course get a say in whether or not your unused song gets used by someone else-”

“But my say won’t really matter because if you or Merlin think it’ll be better sung by some other person, I’d get out voted instantly, right?”

Harry sighed exasperatedly, “Look, Eggsy, this is spiralling a bit, why don’t you take some time to think it over and then let me take you out to dinner to discuss things further?” He tried to smile warmly but the look on Eggsy’s face told him otherwise.

Eggsy raised his brow and looked at Harry with a tough-looking pout on his lips, “You think you can wine and dine me? Make me forget that I’d lose all control over my own songs?”

“You wouldn’t be losing control-” he held up his hands in a surrendering gesture, “Think of it this way, we’re investing in you and even if you decide to change your mind or whatever, Kingsman still retains something from the initial investment.” The words sounded idiotic even to his own ears. But he was losing Eggsy and he was losing him fast.

It was snowballing out of control and he was so fucking livid at Merlin for leaving him alone with the object of his affections. To whom he was currently looking like a total asshole. _Fuck fuck fuck._

Eggsy couldn’t believe that this was where his day had gone, he was supposed to sign with Kingsman, make it rich and never have to worry about money again. But it felt like they were asking for a bit of his soul and he just wasn’t willing to give that up. Even if Harry was the most handsome man Eggsy had ever seen and he hated himself for saying no to the dinner invite. He stood up abruptly, “I’m just gonna go. Thank you for your time, Mr. Hart.” He walked out the door, leaving Harry staring at his vacated chair, in total shock.

  
\-------

  


Merlin had given Harry about an hour to seal the deal with Eggsy and he started to make his way back to the other man’s office. He paused outside of the door due to the groaning coming from the other side. He knocked loudly, “Harry?”

“Come in,” Harry said miserably.

“Oh god,” Merlin muttered under his breath as he walked into the office, “How did you fuck this up?!” He glared at his friend’s hunched over form, sprawled across his desk, “You just had to compliment him, offer him a contract and maybe toast the occasion with that champagne you like showing off so much!”

“I lost control of my words and made it seem like we’d hoard his music like a fucking dragon,” he mumbled into his blotter pad, “I fucking blew it and then asked him out to dinner.”

“Oh my god! A dragon? Please tell me you didn’t actually say that,” Merlin groaned and ran his hand over his face, “And why did you think _dinner_ was the way to fix your cock up?! And why on God’s green earth did you not tell him song rights were _negotiable_?! Harry...just, oh my god.”

Harry’s head lifted from the desk and he glared at Merlin, “Don’t you think I know that?! Christ, he was so mad when he left. I’m a useless twat,” he groaned, resting his face on the desk once again.

Merlin cleared his throat and sat down in front of the desk, “Need I remind you that you’ve made deals with some of the most powerful people in this industry and have negotiated things that mere mortals could only dream of? You are not a useless twat, Harry Hart.”

“Thank you, Merlin,” he mumbled.

“Except of course in this instance. You are 100% a useless twat when it comes to that boy.”

“Oh fuck off, Merlin,” Harry grumbled, “I want to fix it but I don’t know how.”

“Let him cool down for a few days and I’ll try and ring him up again. You just stay away from him till then, okay?”

A small shrug was all Harry could muster in response.

  


\-------

 

Eggsy opened the door to his thankfully empty flat and tried to catch his breath. He’d had to run around the complex twice before he felt calm enough to think things through. He wanted to punch something and burst into tears at the same time, he’d had such high hopes for that meeting and to have it go down in flames was fucking heartbreaking. All the rumours he’d ever heard about Harry Hart seemed like a joke now. How on earth did that man negotiate multi-million dollar deals when he could barely form a sentence around Eggsy?

“Fuck him,” Eggsy cursed out angrily, walking into his room to collapse on his bed. Soon enough his mum would be home with Daisy and he desperately didn’t want to have to relive the story again. _I should've never have told mum. Now she’s gonna be all disappointed and I just don’t want to deal with it._ He flipped over onto his stomach, ignoring the notification that someone had commented on his youtube.

What a crap way for his day to end. He thought about Harry’s offer to go out for dinner and scoffed. If the meeting had gone the way he’d wanted it to, he absolutely would’ve gone for dinner with Harry; probably would’ve flirted up a storm too. No sense in denying how fit the man had been. Eggsy would’ve leapt at the chance to see what was under that suit.

He rolled over again and stared at his ceiling, he took three deep breaths and blindly grabbed for his phone from his pocket. Opening up the youtube app, he tapped on his notifications and his heart leapt a bit at seeing BespokeBloke51’s name pop up. Finally, something good from today.

 **BespokeBloke51:** _If I wasn’t sure of your intentions before, I’d have to be blind not to notice them now. You’re a cheeky little thing, aren’t you, dear boy? How was your day?_

Eggsy stared at his phone, BespokeBloke51 rarely mixed his flirty messages with everyday stuff. But if he wanted to vent, BespokeBloke51 would probably be the best person to vent to. Eggsy wouldn’t have to see the disappointed expression that his mum was sure to wear.  

 **EggsyUnwin:** _Honestly, it’s been a shit day. Your message has been the highlight though :)_

The man’s answer back had almost been instantaneous.

 **BespokeBloke51** : _Well I am sorry to hear that, if I may, what happened?_

Eggsy launched into a brief description of how shitty his meeting had gone and he how he should’ve known better than to get excited to meet an idol like Harry Hart.

 **EggsyUnwin:** _I’m sorry to dump all this on you, I just figured this way I wouldn’t have to see someone look disappointed in me._

 **BespokeBloke51:** _Dear boy, how could anyone be disappointed in you? You had a meeting at one of the top record companies in the UK and they were obviously big fans of your work (as they should be). If anything, it sounds like a misunderstanding. Trust me, give it a few days and they’ll no doubt get in contact with you. You’re far too talented to have them walk away from you now._

 **EggsyUnwin:** _I don’t know what I did to get someone like you in my life. I know we haven’t met before and all that but it’s nice to know that my hard work is appreciated. And I know this isn’t really normal, but if you wanna text me sometime I think I’d like that. And if it freaks you out, I totally understand_.

He took a deep breath as he wrote out his number and shut his eyes tightly as he hit send. He stared at his phone, hoping that the man, he really needed to learn his name, wouldn’t get scared off by Eggsy’s request to text. Just as soon as he put his phone on his bedside table, the screen lit up with an incoming message. Eggsy picked it up so quickly it nearly slipped out of his hands; he swiped across the screen and grinned at the message.

 **Unknown number:** _It absolutely doesn’t “freak” me out. I was worried you were starting to think I was a creepy old man._

 **Eggsy:** _Lol, not at all. Is the 51 in your user name your age or the year you were born? And I should probably also get your name to put in my phone_ *winky face*

 **Unknown number:** _It is in fact my age, is that still okay?_

 **Eggsy:** _Ah so you ARE a silver fox! I was kinda hoping you’d be one, you know, with your bespoke suits and all_

 **Unknown number:** _Is it narcissistic to say you are correct on all fronts?_ *smiley face*

He bit his lip, thinking about what this man could look like. It didn’t hurt that his brain automatically supplied Harry Hart’s image at the forefront of his mind.

 **Eggsy:** _Flirt all you want, but you still owe me a name…_

 

\-------

 

Harry stared at his phone with a panicked look on his face. He couldn’t give Eggsy his real name, because then he’d be extra fucked. Eggsy would never trust him again. But on the other hand, lying, yet again, wouldn’t bode well for the future either. He worried the inside of his cheek with his teeth as he tried to think of a way out of the mess he’d made.

He quickly thought back to how his mum and dad insisted upon his name being Henry (as it said on his birth certificate) and how he refused to answer to anything but Harry when he turned seven years old.

_My name is Henry_

It wasn’t technically a lie, and he hoped that would help him sleep at night. After the disaster that was their first meeting, Harry desperately wanted to make things right with the young man, regardless of Merlin’s warning to stay away.

 **E:** _Henry hey? I like it, it suits you already._

He could fix this.

 

\-----

 

True to Henry’s prediction, Kingsman Records called three days later, Eggsy had been startled to be speaking with Merlin instead of Roxy.

“Good morning, Mr. Unwin, I am terribly sorry for how things...disintegrated last week. I can assure you that Mr. Hart was coming down with something and wasn’t himself. You have my sincerest apologies.”

Eggsy stuttered out a “no problem” and leaned up against his closed door, trying to compose himself.

“Now, I would still very much like for you to come back and have a one-on-one producer meeting with myself, maybe have Roxy sit in, if you’re amenable to that.”

“Uh sure, I mean, it should be fine. Um...are the things that Mr. Hart and I talked about real rules?”

“They are real rules but they can be negotiated. Nothing is ever black and white here at Kingsman. Some artists end up hating a song that they’ve written and gladly offer it up to other artists. There are even instances where an artist may not feel comfortable doing a song solo, and so we try and see who we have within our roster that would be a good match. There are endless options, Mr. Unwin and we’ll do everything in our power to make you a success.”

Eggsy grinned, he would have to text Henry after he was done on the phone with Merlin. The man would be thrilled to hear that things may just work out after all.

 

\------

 

 **Eggsy:** _You were right! They called back!!!!!_

 **Henry:** _See? You’re going to be fine, I knew they wouldn’t let you go that easily. I know I wouldn’t have._

Eggsy couldn’t stop the blush rising to his cheeks even if he wanted to. He’d known, well, _digitally_ known Henry for over a year now and even though their texting relationship was still kind of new, Eggsy wondered about meeting him in person. He was full of doubts and didn’t want his first meeting with Henry to go the same way his meeting with Harry had gone. The phrase ‘Never Meet Your Idols’ kept ringing in his head. But it wouldn’t be work with Henry, Eggsy most definitely wanted it to be a date. Even if he wasn’t physically attracted to Henry, he was already shockingly emotionally invested in the older man. Attraction would come eventually.

  


\-----

 

Merlin guided Eggsy into one of the recording studios and gestured for him to take a seat on the couch.

Another man entered the room and sat down in a chair across from Eggsy, “You must be the young man I keep hearing about!” he smiled warmly, reaching over to shake Eggsy’s hand.

“Eggsy, this is Percival, he’ll be assisting you with your original songs. Percival, meet Eggsy.”

“Yeah, I think we would’ve figured it out, Merlin,” Percival teased, “Now get out so we can get some real work done.”

That first session had been spent with Eggsy playing some of the melodies he’d had floating around in his head and Percival picking and choosing which parts sounded good together. Roxy popped in about midday to get their lunch orders, to which Eggsy couldn’t stop grinning at, and then again later on with tea.

By the end of the day, they’d pieced together a small portion of a song and Eggsy left feeling so happy that he could’ve floated home, instead of taking the Tube.

It carried on like that for the next few months, Percival was strictly with Eggsy and Eggsy happily let himself fall into the rhythm of songwriting. He’d taken to keeping a small notebook on hand, in case any lyrics came to him.

And they usually did come to him, after texting with Henry. Eggsy couldn’t even fight all the fluffy nonsense that his brain was offering, it just poured out of him and before long, his very first finished piece was a love song. He’d kept Henry informed about all of the progress and sometimes the stress he was experiencing. Henry was always there with a supportive word and Eggsy continued to fall hard for the man he’d never met.

Merlin was the main producer that popped into his sessions with Percy, Harry had been in all of two times over the past few months, always looking so fucking miserable that it put Eggsy off his game for at least fifteen minutes, both times.

After months of hard work, Eggsy had a solid ten tracks to his name with Percy as a co-writer on five of them. Eggsy sat next to Percy’s husband, James, listening to the man mix the tracks, adding the live band stuff for a few of the numbers and just polishing the album in general.

Eggsy nodded along to the song playing in his headphones, grinning like mad at Percy, who wore the exact same expression.

“Eggsy, this sounds fucking phenomenal!”

“I can’t believe this is me!” he pointed to his headphones. Sure, he knew it was his voice but hearing it with such gorgeous sounding music and not through some tinny speakers on his phone, well, he fought the urge to burst into tears.

Both Merlin (and Roxy) had sat in on a few listening sessions too, both so pleased with how it all sounded.

Roxy nudged Eggsy one afternoon, while the other men were discussing a tempo change in the bridge of the song currently playing, “So, track number 5, you know, “Best of Me”?”

Eggsy nodded, “Yeah, it’s my favourite one out of the lot of ‘em.”

“So…” Roxy began, “I can’t help but think it was written with a certain someone in mind. Might it be the mysterious Henry you keep texting?” She prodded him in his ribs, causing him to curve in on himself and snort loudly.

“Knock it off!” he shoved her playfully, “Maybe it was written with him in mind and maybe you should shut up about it before Merlin gives me shit again for texting too much!” he whispered hastily.

“Are you gonna tell him?”

“Who? Merlin?”

“Fuck off, you know who I mean!”

Eggsy looked at Roxy earnestly and shrugged his shoulders, “He doesn’t know that I wrote a song about him, Rox.”

She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, “It’s a beautiful song Eggsy, just you and your guitar. He’s bound to love it and then fall madly in love with you.”

He rolled his eyes and stared at the phone in his lap. He’d wanted a good reason to take things to the next level with Henry and maybe Roxy was right. Maybe the song could bring them that much closer, “Maybe I’ll tell him tonight?”

Roxy gasped loudly and shooed away the other men’s confused expressions, “Oh my god, Eggsy! Oh, I’m so excited for you!”

Eggsy’s smile widened dramatically, “Yeah, me too, Rox. Me too.”

  


\------

 

Eggsy had paced back and forth in his room for at least an hour. If he texted Henry to tell him about the song, there’d be no going back. Regardless of how it turned out, their relationship was going to change.

He’d wanted to do it months earlier, but suddenly with a real reason to confess something to Henry, he was stalling. He glanced over at his phone, sitting on his bed. _Now or never._

He picked it up and sent the text without even second guessing himself.

 **E:** _I may have written a song about you. It may be a love song._

Eggsy waited on the edge of his bed for fifteen minutes before Henry finally texted back.

 **H:** _I think this is as good a time as any to suggest getting a drink together. Are you free this evening?_

His heart leapt into his throat, “Oh fuck! Oh my god!” he continued to pace about his room, “Come on you wanker, calm down, text him back.”

 **E:** _Depends, is this gonna be the last drink we have together or the first drink of many?_

 **H:** _Dear boy, I’ll leave that up to you._

They decided to meet at one of Eggsy’s favourite pubs, it was one he knew his step-dad was no longer allowed in and so it would be a safe space for Eggsy’s first official date with a man. Eggsy had asked how he’d know Henry, to which Henry replied that he’d be the only one in a bespoke suit. Eggsy didn’t think he could handle walking in and looking around to find Henry, so he showed up ten minutes early, ordered a pint and sat nervously bouncing his leg under the table.

His fingers rested around the pint glass, the condensation dripping freely from the heat of his hand. He hadn’t even taken a sip yet, he knew if he did anything like that prior to meeting Henry, he’d throw up everything he’d eaten that day and that was not a first impression he was ready to make.

Eggsy had been so focussed on his beer, that he hadn’t noticed a man approach his booth, “Is this seat taken?” a very familiar voice asked.

Eggsy’s heart hammered in his chest as he looked up and made eye contact with Harry Hart. He winced as he choked out an answer, “Yeah, it kind of is. Sorry mate,” Why did that man have to show up on tonight of all nights?! Eggsy looked up at Harry again as the man looked nervously to the seat opposite Eggsy.

“I think I best sit down,” Harry said quickly, taking the seat that was meant for Henry.

Eggsy fought the groan that so desperately wanted to escape from his mouth, but instead he just eyed up Harry cautiously.

“Eggsy, we need to discuss something,” Harry started, glancing up at Eggsy’s unimpressed expression.

“Can it be quick? I’m kind of on a very important date here,” he asked almost too eagerly. He just wanted Harry gone. This was going to be a big night for him and he wasn’t about to let Harry spoil it for him.

“That’s why I’m here,” Harry looked apologetic as he handed Eggsy his phone.

Eggsy sighed exasperatedly and took the phone, glancing at the message screen.

His heart stopped.

Right at the top was his own name, and under it were all the texts he’d sent back and forth with Henry. He chewed on his lip as he scrolled through all the familiar texts, “What is this?” he asked softly, feeling his eyes starting to water, “What is this?!” he pleaded, staring at Harry.

Harry looked heartbroken, “My dear boy, I wanted to tell you so much sooner.” Harry’s hands reached out for Eggsy’s but Eggsy pulled them back. “But after following you for so long on youtube and then royally fucking up our first meeting, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, for the fear that you’d hate me.”

Eggsy shook his head angrily, he shoved the phone back across the table into Harry’s hands,  “No, no this isn’t okay. I thought-” his voice broke, “-I thought we actually had something and-and I wrote that fucking song about you! I fucking fell in love with you!” he cried out, not giving a damn about anyone watching his emotional breakdown. His insides shook with the rage of being lied to for months and months, “How could you lie to me like this?!”

“It snowballed into something I couldn’t control anymore and I know that’s not a good excuse and I’m an absolute coward for not saying anything sooner, but you need to believe me when I say that aside from the tailor bit, nothing has been a lie to you. My birth name is indeed Henry and I’m so bloody in love with you and it’s been killing me to see you at Kingsman and not be able to say anything and I can’t stand to see you this hurt because of something I’ve done.”

Eggsy sniffled and pursed his lips, “You’re damn right you’re a coward, Harry Hart.” He left money on the table and shimmied out of the booth. He didn’t look back.

 

\-----

 

Once again, Eggsy found himself in the recording studio, listening to his album. James had done a wonderful job fixing it all up and Eggsy couldn’t have been any prouder to put his name on something.

Except for “Best of Me”. He knew how important of a song it was on the album, but he couldn’t help but feel like it was all lies now. He had shut his eyes and leaned back against the couch, letting the music wash over him.

“Oh! Harry! I’m so glad you could finally join us!” James’ ever perky voice seemed to echo in the small room.

Eggsy opened his eyes and glared at Harry as the man sat down in a chair across from him.

Totally unaware of the tension in the room, James continued on speaking, “Have you given this a listen yet, Harry? I know Merlin gave you a sample CD.”

Harry shook his head and looked over at Eggsy, “No, I haven’t. I was waiting for Eggsy to let me know when I could finally have a listen.”

Eggsy scoffed quietly and rolled his eyes, “Why don’t you play track 5, James?”

“Oh Harry, this is a fucking beautiful piece. Did you know it was the first song Eggsy had written?” James pressed a few buttons and nodded at Harry, “I’m gonna go grab some tea for us, just let the song wash over you,” he slapped Harry’s shoulders and left the room.

The silence was deafening until the finally first few chords started to play, [Eggsy’s voice started to sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF-F_Jlk9HQ),

 

_Sometimes words are hard to find_

_I'm looking for that perfect line_

_To let you know you're always on my mind_

_Yeah this is love and I've learned enough to know_

_I'm never lettin' go_

_No, no, no - won't let go_

 

_When you want it - when you need it_

_You'll always have the best of me_

_I can't help it - believe it_

_You'll always get the best of me_

 

Harry felt chills ghost down his spine, the words were so perfect; he looked at Eggsy and couldn’t help the goofy grin on his face. Eggsy had been watching him intently and he slowly started to smile back at Harry.

 

_I may not always know what's right_

_But I know I want you here tonight_

_Gonna make this moment last for all your life_

_oh yeah this is love and it really means so much_

_I can tell from every touch_

_No, no, no - can't get enough_

 

“I’m still mad at you,” Eggsy said quietly, massaging his hand to keep from fidgeting.

Harry stood up and walked over the the couch, crouching down in front of Eggsy, “You have every right to, my darling.” Harry grasped Eggsy’s hands in his own and squeezed gently, “I feel so incredibly lucky to have deserved these words from you and I’ll count my lucky stars each day that I’m allowed to show you what you mean to me.”

Eggsy looked down at their joined hands and then back up at Harry’s expression, so full of love and hope. “If I say yes, you need to know that you have to earn my trust back, okay? I’m not just gonna forget all the shit that happened.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t have thought otherwise. I know I hurt you but I’ll spend the rest of my life, or as long as you’ll have me, trying to prove it.”

The song ended and silence filled the room once more. Eggsy stared at the man he knew he loved and shook his head, “How is this even real?” he started to laugh, “I mean, come on, Harry. Get over here already!” He grabbed Harry’s jacket by the lapels and yanked the man forwards into a much needed kiss.

Harry grunted at first, trying to awkwardly push himself up on the couch so he was less on Eggsy’s lap and more hovering over him. He eventually broke the kiss so he could sit on the couch and pull Eggsy onto his lap. Eggsy’s hands roamed over his chest and Harry couldn’t help but puff up a bit.

“Ooo I knew you were fit, this is practically painted on,” Eggsy gestured to the suit, “I can’t fucking wait to see what’s underneath it,” he grinned wolfishly and dove back in for another kiss, his hands finding their way back to Harry’s lapels.

Harry slowly licked his way into Eggsy’s mouth, his hands sliding down the young man’s back to rest on his delightful bottom. Eggsy groaned into the kiss and Harry took that as his cue to manhandle the denim-covered arse in his palms.

The studio was silent with the exception of the heavy breathing and the slide of their bodies on the leather couch. Eggsy moaned as he ground down against Harry’s lap, his hands slowly making their way under Harry’s jacket and grasping at the man’s broad shoulders. He rolled his hips again and gasped into Harry’s mouth, the older man biting at Eggsy’s bottom lip, “You’re going to be the death of me,” Harry groaned, tightening his grasp on Eggsy’s hips.

“ _Fuck yes_ , worth it,” Eggsy whispered, “what a way to go,” he grinned into another kiss.

The door to the studio opened a crack and James laughed at something someone else must’ve said in the hallway. Harry pushed up on Eggsy’s shoulders and Eggsy nearly fell off of Harry’s lap to get to the other side of the couch quickly. Both men straightened their clothing, Harry crossed his legs to conceal his hardened cock and Eggsy tucked his legs under himself and pulled a pillow onto his lap.

James grinned at the both of them (totally unaware of the snog session he’d interrupted) as he walked into the studio, he handed them each a cup of tea and sat down in his chair, “What did you think, Harry?’

Harry cleared his throat and nodded tightly, “Yes, for the first time in a long time, I’m actually quite moved.” He looked over at Eggsy and smiled a very small smile, “I think we’ve got a hit on our hands!”

 

\------

 

“We’ve got such a good turn out!” exclaimed Roxy, as she walked into the green room. The album launch party was being held at a renovated church-turned-theatre; all religious items had been removed but they had kept the rich red velvet curtains and the pews. And the pews were filled entirely.

Eggsy nervously lounged on one of the many mismatched couches in the green room, just off of the stage. It had been a few months since he and Harry had first kissed back in the studio, and it had only been a week since his album had debuted. The past year and a half seemed like it had only been two months. Eggsy tried not to think about how quickly things changed for him in such a short amount of time, it always made him feel light-headed.

It was still a bit early to tell, but it looked like his album was set to climb the charts quickly and the contract he’d signed with Kingsman had given him enough money upfront, to move everyone (but Dean) to a nicer apartment, near a really good school for Daisy when she came of age.

Eggsy had tried to spend some time at the new apartment, but more often than not, he found himself in Harry’s sprawling warehouse loft. The man had a maid, for Christ’s sake. A fact that Harry had neglected to tell Eggsy until after Eggsy had wandered out into the kitchen, late one morning, yawning and fully naked. The woman’s shriek had startled Eggsy so much that he had run back into the bedroom, yelling “I’m so sorry!” again and again. Harry had gotten a vicious punch to the arm for not telling him about the maid sooner and then for laughing at Eggsy’s flustered face as he ran back into the room.

Harry wandered into the green room and he smiled when he saw Eggsy lounging on the couch. He nudged the younger man’s legs and Eggsy lifted them up so Harry could sit on the couch, he patted his lap and Eggsy’s legs dropped down gently. His hands started to mindlessly rub along Eggsy’s denim covered legs, “Darling, you’re going to be wonderful. Stop fretting.” Harry leaned over and placed a kiss in Eggsy’s hair.

“You can say that, you’re not goin’ out there to sing to all those people!” Eggsy groaned dramatically, fiddling with his phone.

“I cannot argue with that but some of that crowd out there is friends and family and they love you and want to see you do well, Eggsy. Look at it this way, your mum and Daisy are in the front row and you can just imagine you’re singing to them.” He grasped Eggsy’s chin and tilted the young man’s head to face him, “Eggsy, you’re about to show the world what you’re capable of and it is going to blow their minds. Just relax and after this whole night is over, we can go back to the loft and drink in the hot tub, okay?”

Eggsy pouted and batted his eyelashes, “And we’re not drinking that whiskey that burns my throat, right? We’re gonna be drinking that-”

“-Champagne, yes, love. There’s some chilling in the fridge as we speak.”

“Eggsy?” Roxy looked at her watch, “It’s time!”

 

\-----

 

Merlin had introduced him and after swallowing down his nerves, he’d gone out onto the stage and the next thing he knew, he was thanking the audience and walking off the stage to the sounds of the crowd hollering and cheering. He walked down the steps into the green room, right into Harry’s waiting arms.

“That was fantastic, Eggsy!!” Harry hugged him tightly and then turned him around, “Go out and take another bow!” He nudged Eggsy gently and the young man took over his gross motor control and walked back out.

He grinned sheepishly at the audience and waved. Merlin walked back out on stage and patted Eggsy on the back, “Thank you all for coming out tonight! Eggsy here will be out front, signing cd’s or if you just want to say hi!”

Eggsy looked up at Merlin with wide, panicked eyes. Merlin shut off the mic and leaned in to whisper in Eggsy’s ear, “Don’t worry, lad. Roxy will be sitting with you the whole time. We’ll make sure your mum and sister make it backstage to wait for you, okay?”

He nodded shakily and wandered back into the green room; Roxy stood by the back door with a stack of album cover photos, a handful of sharpies and a wheely cart full of cd’s.

“You look more ready than I do,” Eggsy teased lightly.

Roxy nudged him with her shoulder, “This is a big deal! You’ve been working so hard and you deserve all the accolades! Come on, let’s get out there!” She walked out the door, expecting Eggsy to follow and it took a less than subtle prod from Merlin, to get him to follow her out the door.

Eggsy jogged after her, as they rounded the back of the building. He could hear people talking excitedly as they got closer to the front of the venue.

“Hey! It’s him!”

Eggsy looked up at the crowd leaving out the front door and waved. There were several cheers and a few claps as he made his way back up into the building. He shook hands with some people and even looked surprised as hell when a couple of girls asked him for a selfie.

The autograph session went on for nearly an hour and Eggsy’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Everyone had something lovely to say and there were even those that were too nervous to say more than “Hi”. After Eggsy signed his last cd, he looked over at Roxy and exhaled deeply, “That was insane, Rox!” He let his head fall on the table, “So insane, fuck,” he mumbled into the tablecloth. Eggsy sat up and grinned at Roxy, “Those people were here to hear me sing! Oh my god!”

Roxy’s smile was radiant, “Quit sounding so surprised! Come on, let’s go see your family.”

\-----

 

Eggsy leaned back and let his head rest against the edge of the hot tub, “Harry, tonight was amazing,” he sighed.

Harry grabbed his glass of champagne and leaned over to kiss Eggsy’s forehead, “Darling, _you_ were amazing tonight. Trust me, this is only the beginning for you.”

“I think you’re biased.” Eggsy stuck out his tongue.

“Dangerously so,” Harry kissed him again, “but as always, I remain unrepentant.”

Eggsy turned to face him and raised an eyebrow, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He leaned over Harry’s lap and sought out the older man’s mouth. Harry closed the distance between them easily, while blindly attempting to put his champagne flute down on the ledge of the tub. Both men were suddenly too invested in each other’s mouths to truly notice the champagne flute smashing on the stone tile outside of the tub.

Much, much later (after a celebratory “ride” and necessary follow-up shower), Eggsy pulled Harry’s arms around him and sighed happily. Harry pressed a kiss to the back of Eggsy’s neck, “Good night, my love,” he murmured quietly,

“Harry?”

“Mmm?”

“This is gonna sound dumb but thank you for watching my videos, forever ago.” He felt Harry huff out a breathy laugh.

“Eggsy, you are an incredibly talented man and I consider myself very lucky to have stumbled upon that very first video.” He kissed Eggsy’s neck again, “Now get some sleep before you get kicked out of this bed for talking too much,” he yawned.

Eggsy bit his lip and smiled widely, “I love you, Harry.”

Harry groaned, “You’re lucky I love you too, or else that comment would’ve gotten you kicked out of bed.”

“Wanker.”

“You love it,” Harry teased sleepily.

 


End file.
